We have a paediatrics department!
by KakeruTamaki
Summary: Hitsugaya finds, to his surprise, that the thirteen court guard squads have a paediatrics deptartment; thanks to a slip of the tounge from Matsumoto. Hitsugaya takes it upon himself to investigate while Rangiku is told by Yamamoto to deliver a prophesy
1. Chapter 1

"WE HAVE A PAEDIATRICS DEPARTMENT?!"

Toshiro spat his tea across the desk. "Since when in hell did we have a paediatrics department? Why did no one even think to tell me?!" He raged at Matsumoto. Rangiku was stretched out on the sofa in her captain's office and had just let slip something that she had forgot was meant to be kept top secret.

"Calm down captain! You'll wake the entire of Seireitei if you're not careful! Besides, only the nice shinigami are supposed to know anyway."

"What do you mean 'nice'? Aren't I 'nice'?"

"It's nothing personal captain, it's just that, well, sometimes your demeanour can be a bit cold. As well as that you're not long out of the paediatrics department yourself."

"Matsumoto..!"

"Ok! Ok! Well, the paediatrics department is supposed to be kept under wraps, simply because if a human under the age of twelve were to die, they'd find it a struggle to settle into the Rukon district straight away. The paediatric Shinigami are well trained in prepping the young kids for the soul society!" She yawned sleepily. Honestly, she didn't know what the fuss was about. It's not like it's that big a deal!

"So, who's in charge of this paediatrics division?" Captain Hitsugaya asked, now clearly trying to gather all the information he could so as not to be left in the dark about it any longer. Rangiku paused.

"It was Ichimaru... before he left." Rangiku sat up slowly, facing away from the captain. Hitsugaya could not think of a worse person to put in control of children. Surely the sight of Gin's smile would scare them half to death? Not that they weren't dead already...

"So, who's there now?" Hitsugaya asked impatiently.

"There's two of them I believe, the captain is called Mystere. The vice-captain; Sheldan."

"Hmm."

"Anyway captain, isn't it time you went to bed?"

"This is _my_ office Matsumoto! Not to mention that it's _your_ reports I've been filing for the past three hours!"

"My bad! My bad!" She said, standing to leave. She took one last look at her captain who had begun putting away the mass of papers piled upon his desk before she swept from the room into the dark corridor at the centre of the tenth squad's barracks.


	2. Chapter 2 Who are you?

"I don't understand! I've been here hundreds of times before and there's never been a problem getting in or out!" Rangiku yelled at the guard.

"Sorry ma'am. New regulations. Only specific Shinigami now have rights to join the paediatric squad."

"And what, may I ask, do you have to do to qualify?" Rangiku put her hands on her well established hips and looked down at the young lad dressed in a blue and white jacket, white cap with fake cat ears protruding from the top and a small dark backpack with wings poking out of either side. "What are you doing, dressed like that anyway? Cosplaying?" The teenager took a step back, he was becoming redder and redder in the face the longer that Matsumoto stood and surveyed him.

"It's the new regulations." He growled, though obviously still embarrassed. "Costume, entry qualifications, everything."

"You're just repeating yourself. Do you even know what the regulations are?" She asked sardonically.

"Of course I do! I-" All of a sudden he became quiet. He looked up at her with his midnight blue eyes, she was easily a head taller than him regardless of the fact that he was tall and looked old for the age of sixteen.

"Well? What do I have to do to get in there and talk to somebody?!"

"You can either get strict permission from Captain General Yamamoto or...or..."

"Or what?!" Matsumoto called. "If you don't get to the point I'll suffocate you in my cleavage!"

"IM NEW OK! GIVE ME A BREAK!" The boy leant heavily against the dark wooden, heavily bolted door that led into the deep and treacherous cave that, once navigated through, opened out into the parallel world of the paediatric squad. He scuffed his boots on the rocky ground casually, as if trying to wish this senior squad member away. Matsumoto looked at his painful expression. He looked as if this was the last place he wanted to be. He was wearing jeans, an unusual thing to see in soul society. In the human world they were all the range, but here they just looked out of place.

"What's your name, kid?" She enquired, he looked up.

"Takuto. Takuto Kira." A long lock of black hair fell in front of his face and he hastened to shove it back under his hat.

"What did you do that for?" Rangiku chuckled.

"Do what?" He blanked.

"Your hair, it's as if you don't want people to see it."

"So what? It's long, I only just got here and I haven't had chance to find a hairdressers yet!"

"You won't find a hairdressers in soul society. Lemme see your hair!" Rangiku made an attempt to snatch the hat from Takuto's head but he was too fast. "Come on! Let me see it!"

"No! What's your problem?! Who the hell do you think you are anyway?!" Takuto resumed his place in front of the door and kept his hands firmly on his hat, protecting it from wandering hands.

"Rangiku Matsumoto. Vice-captain of squad ten. Any more questions?" Takuto froze.

"You're a...a...Vice-captain?" Takuto blushed.

"Yes. I just said that!" Rangiku fumed.

"Oh. Well. Captain's and Vice-Captains are..um...allowed in." He stepped aside sheepishly and unbolted the door for her.

"Finally!" She began to walk past him but paused to take in his appearance. Sure he was young and skinny, but the costume suited him surprisingly well. "Yoink!" She knocked the cat-eared hat from his head and the thick black locks came tumbling to his shoulders.

"Hey!" He yelled, scrambling to pick up his fallen cap.

"You've got good hair! Captain Kuchiki would be jealous. See ya later Takuto! Nice meeting ya!" And with that she was swallowed by the darkness of the cave, her laughter echoing along it.


	3. Chapter 3 Shelly and the ribbon

"Hey, Shelly! Long time no see!" Rangiku grinned on entrance to the shinigami canteen. "Man! It's so annoying how you guys have all the modern stuff while all of us normal shinigami have the old-fashioned style-lives." Sheldan looked over his steak and chips, eye twitching.

"Matsumoto, how many times have I told you not to come here unless you have a good reason?" He snarled. "And don't call me Shelly!"

"Ah! But I _do_ have a good reason! Captain Yamamoto sent me to deliver this." On the last word she pulled out a small, yellowing scroll, tied with an azure blue ribbon, from her black uniform.

"A prophecy?" Sheldan asked, with mild interest. "Hmm..." He took it gently from her, unrolled it and read it carefully, sneakily, Rangiku pocketed the ribbon. "Thank you. I'll get someone on it right away. The only problem is finding the right team." He said, more to himself than Rangiku.

"What about the new guy?" Rangiku asked chirpily.

"The new guy?" Sheldan repeated, confused.

"Takuto, or whatever his name was! The guard!" Sheldan scoffed when she said his name.

"Useless. On his first day he missed the only soul he was supposed to collect. One teenage boy, out of hundreds that died in a plane crash. He's not cut out for this job."

"Give him a chance! He looks friendly enough!" Sheldan sighed.

"It's not about being friendly! It's about being competent!" Rangiku pouted her lips.

"Aw come on! One more task, just to prove himself!" Sheldan stared aptly at her and grunted.

"If you weren't so important to Gin..." He grimaced. "I would never heed your advice." Matsumoto grinned broadly. Success! She knew that he couldn't resist her.

"Fantastic!" She beamed, standing to leave. "I'm off to the human world, there's an Arrancar disturbance in Karakura."

"_Again?!"_

"Yeah. Oh!" she'd almost forgotten... "Captain Hitsugaya may be paying you a visit soon. He found out last night, apparently someone let slip that we have a paediatrics department."

"WHAT?! What idiot told him that?!" Sheldan exploded.

"No idea!" Matsumoto shrugged.

"That's just what I need." Sheldan groaned. "Another captain telling me how to do my job. As if Mystere wasn't enough!" Matsumoto laughed, and left him to his lunch.

Matsumoto reached the end of the cave not half an hour later and grinned when she saw that the boy was still stood there as he had been before.

"Hey kid." She called.

"Oh, hey." He said uncomfortably, he had tucked his hair back into his hat.

"I've got you something!" Rangiku reached into her pocked, pulled out the stolen ribbon and handed to him.

"A ribbon?" He questioned incredulously.

"Yes a ribbon!" She whacked him over the head. "Don't look so ungrateful! You can use it to tie your hair back! It'll look better than having it tucked so stupidly under your cap!" Takuto hurriedly pulled his hat off and proceeded to tie his liquorish hair into a pony-tail. "It suits you." Matsumoto said stubbornly. "See you soon!" She strutted away, happy with herself, but the boy called after her.

"Thank you!" She didn't turn back, but called out in response;

"No problem! Enjoy your next assignment!" He wasn't sure what she meant, but Takuto smiled as he watched the woman walk away and he knew that this was the beginning of something big.

**Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! Kakeru Tamaki x**


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